Fob inteenal-combustion engines



April 24, 1926. 1,666,967

H. A. W. HOWCOTT IGNITER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES File n- 1 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR R flaw/ om ATTORNEYS April 24, 1928. 1,666,967

H. A. w. HOWCOTT IGNITER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 15, 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24; 1928. I

This invention relates'to improvements in B Q YJ w H W or 'L 314mm; L ANA.

rGNiTER Fort rn'rn imnn-comnus'rion ENGINES;

' f rp amn file'd January '15, 192635615 m; "81,485.

internal combustion engines, but more spethe ignit ng apparatus thereof,

cifically to and it consi 6 nations and arrangements and claimed. An ob ect an abrasive w her of an a co-acting contact with the w the engine shaft from a sufliciently high rate which reciprocatory mot is derived.

Other objects andadvantages appear in the following specification,

had to the Figure 1 paratus en shown'to i one ofthe maybe had for rep Figure 4 heel when arrives, there which the who sts of the constructions,

combiher'ein described of theinvention is to provide heel in the combustion chaininternal 'combustionlengine and or wvliicli is 'engageable the ignition period of being acounter el is revolved at speed and from ion of the contactor v v 7 the term ignitershaft by which it is h r The igniter shaft carries accompanying drawing, in which is a plan ough of llustra'te is a ver engine taken substantially of Figure 1 but illus in full lines, the p15 I limit of compression and the ready to fire a charge.

is a detail perspective v1ewshow- Figure 5 ing only su With the igniter.

ch parts The internal combustion the igniter is applied of conventional constructi scribed, the engine comprises view of the igniter ap the engine block being the relationship thereto erspective View ilof the'contactor. etail perspective view; a'portion of the cylinderhead illustrating screw tops through which access lacing the contactor.

tical cross section of the on "the line i -ff trating the'engine parts ton having reached the i gniter being as are concerned directly engine to which is to beregardedas B'riefly; de-

the cylinder Oll block 1- which has a number cylinder bores'or combustion chambers 3 is vreciprocate'd'in each, of

rod 4 which conne the main shaft 6. cover or head 7 W the inventi 8 which is on, is provided fitted with and spark plug opening, but

should be made i that access replacemen may be had to t of-tbe contacto 2. the bores by the Cts it with the crank '5 of The cylinder block has a' hich, 'for th'e purposes of with an opening normally closed 9' (Fig. 3), This' opening as replacing the ordinary in this instance of sufficiently large size so "thexin teri or forj r'tobe described? in distinguished. reference being) Yplied so that the igniter shaft is revolved simultaneously with v abrasive, wheels moved without impediment;

bearings for the igniter'shaft must be pro vid'edIand these, in turn, will be lubricated known method. The

A pistonf "producing sparks A sprocket lO on the main shaft 6 drives i the distancebetiveenthe main and countershafts it is deemed preferable to employth'e sprocket and chain connections. The coun tershaft 12 is suitably journaledat l f' upou the engine block, and inpractice alubri'cant will be vconducted to the" various bearingsby any oneof the known methods.

A secondsprocket 15 on the countershaft 12- (Fig. 1), drives a shaft 16, which isparallel to the countershaft 12,"through a chain 17." The "function ofthe shaft 16' suggests a'sprocket 18 to'whichthe chain 17 is apthe countershaft '12..

(The figniteri shaft carries a 'pl'urality 'of abrasive wheels "19, there'being onefor each engine cylinder. journaled-upon the cylinder block that the respective combustion chambers.

The igniter shaft is preferably sojournaled thatthe cylinder head 7 maybe rebv'a-ny suitable and wheels 19 will be of any suitable abrasive material that- "will strike .7 sparks whentouched by a metallic ,substance'during revooccupy and revolve, in I the Appropriate "The igniter shaft is'so lu'tion. 'Ei'nory, carborundum, :etc. may be employed, 3

The cou'ntershaftalQ has a plurality of cranks 20. one for each engine cylinder.

linkQl with a rod. 22gwhich extends through the cylinder block and' terminates i'n'a socket The socket is equipped'with a bolt 24 by means of whichthe shank 25 of the contactor 26 is rigidly held. The shank is non; circular in "cross section and fits a corresponding opening rangement preventing slipping around of the shank. I The contactor is metallic, and upon re-' ciprocation of the rod '22 the point of the contactor comes-into periodic engagement with the surface of the abrasive wheel 19 for the ignition. of a in the combustionchamber of'the encharge gine; eThe' ontaetorismovab1y mounted at Each crank 'has'connection-by means of a v in thesocket 23, the arenginelselected for illustration is of the four- 2o ,ets 10 and 11 are therefore be e I which drives the igniter piston 8travels the of each cylinder.

28 upon the shank 25, for example by means of a hinge arrangement. A leaf or other spring 29, carried by the shank, presses the contactor outwardly so that effective'e'ngagement Will be madewith the abrasive element even though the contactor has become considerably worn.

The exposed extremity of the rod 22 is bifurcated at 27 (Fig. 2) "toeonveninu make connection with the link 21. The rod 22 be made round Where itpasses through the cylinder Wall so that it may be packed (packing not shown) to prevent compression leaks. I11 practice thebolt 2 1 can be tightened and loosened by the insertion an appropriate instrument, for example pliers or a \vrenchgthrough the adjacent opening 8.-

The operationis readily understood. The

cylinder, four-cycle type. In orderthat the contactor 26 may engage the. surface of the abrasive heel 19 at the ignition period it is necessary to revolve the countershaft 12 at l al'f'tl emain shaft speed. In other words, the countershaft 12 makes one revolution to tWo revolutions ofthe main shaft 6. The sprock- 'b proportioned to achieve this 7 result. abrasive Wheel 19 shall revolveat rather high rate of speed, and the sprocket 18 must smaller than the sprocket 13 shaft 16.

Assume the piston 3 of the cylinder nearest to the chain 13 and 1? as having reached the limit of a compression stroke (Fig. 4). Therespective crank 20v of the countershaft 12 Will at this time be in position to have thrust the rod 22 tothe limit of its inward s't-rokeflther'eby bringing the contactor 26 into engagement vitlrthe surface of the rapidly revolvingabrasive Wheel 19. v The resulting sparks ignite the compressed charge, and the Working stroke.

is observed that the' cranks 20 of the countershaft 12 arearranged at quarters so that the cylinders Will lire in the order 1, 3. 41, 2. The leftv end of the cylinder block (Fig. is considered the front of the engine. Ignitiongis occurring inthe combustion chamber of cylinder #4. The abrasive Wheels 19 andthe coacting contactors 260perate solely Within the combustion chamber The igniter rod 22 has slidable bearing. upon the cylinder block 1. The countershaft 12 serves the combined purposes of reciprocating the contactor 26 and revolving the abrasive Wheel 19.

The main shaft 6 Wise direction looking at the, engine from the front. with t l1e ig niter shaft 16 it is observed that the latteralso revolves in the clockivisedirectio-n, The latter direction of revolution of the igniter shaftis intentional. The engagement of the contactor 26 With the sur- But it is preferable that the v and situated solely ithin revolves in the clock- "By tracing the chain connections of the improved 'igniter is that of a generallypreierred form, obviously modifications andc'hang'es may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the claims. 1

Iclaimz V e p 7 1. In combination with an engine cylinder having a piston operableftherein to fornr a combustion chamber, an abrasive element situated solely and revolulile Within "the com bustion chan'1ber,,a metallic contactor also situated solely Within the combustion chanr ber, and means carrying the contactor "being reciprocatively mounted n the cyl nder Wall for periodically engagin g the contacQ tor with the surface-of said element. e

2. In combination ith a cylinderblocl: having a' cylinder and a piston operable with in the cylinder to form a combustion chamer, an. abrasive element situated solely and revoluble Within the,combustion chamber, a

contactor also situated Within the co1nbustion chamber being engageable \vi' th' the abrasive element to producesparks Within said chamber, having bearing support A block, and means for reciprocating said carrying meansv for the=purpose described.

8. In combination With a cylinder block havinga cylinder anda piston reciproc'able in the cylinder; to form v a"combustion chamber, a revoluble abrasive element situated solely Within the combustion chamber, 1 a

rod projecting ug the Cy inder block which thereby'afiords a 'slidable bearing,

one. end of the rod being exposed in the combustion chamber the other being exposed on the outside, a cont actor carried by that end of the rod exposed in the combustion chan1ber,'and re oluble means having such connection With the other-end of the rod as to reciprocate said rod in its bearing to -pe riodically engage the contactor with said abrasive element.

4. In. combination with a cylinder block.

and a piston operable having a cylinder, therein to form a. combustion chamber, an igniter shaftjournaled upon the cylinder block to pass through the combustion chamber, an abrasive element carried by the shaft the chainber, a rod passing I through the cylinder block which thereby provides a bearing one end of the rod projecting into the combustion chamber the other end beingexposed'on the outside means on the inner end of the means carrying the contactor upon the cyl nder rod detachably carrying the cont'actor a countershaft having driving cbniiectijon with the ignited shaftfor revolving the abrasive element, and a crank formed inthe countershaft having a link connection with the exposed end of the rod for simultaneously reciprocating the rod in its bearing and cans ing with the surface of said element. r y

5; In combination with a cylinder block having a cylinder, a main shaft, and a piston operable in the cylinder to form a combustion chamber; an igniter shaft journaled upon the block to pass through the combus-- tion chamber, an abrasive element carried by said shaft being situated in'the chamber, a contactor also in the chamber, means carrying the contactor extending through the cylinder block which thereby provides abearing, a countershaft journaled uponthc cylinder block, means for driving the countershaft from the main shaft and in turn driving the igniter shaft from the conntersha'ft so that the igniter shaft revolves simultaneously with the main shaft, and a crank formed, in connection with the exposed end of said contact-carrying means to produce simultaneous reciprocation of the contactor and periodic engagement thereof with-said abrasive element.

G, In combination with an engine. cylinder having apiston operable therein 'to form a combustion chamber, a metallic contactor reciprocable in the combustion chamber, an abrasive element also in the chamber and periodic engagement of the contactor the countershaft having a link withwhich said contactor is periodically en- 'gageable,.and means for-revolving said abrasive element in a direction to throw a stream of sparks toward the head of the piston, upon engagement of the contractor.

7; In combination with a c having a cylinder, 9. cylinder head and a piston operable in ,thev cylinder definingia ylinder block i combustion chamber; a continuously rev- 1 oluble abrasive element situated solely with in the'combnsti'on chamber, a ,reciprocable rod having bearing on the cylinder block and terminating in, a socket on the com-,

bustion chamber end, a contactor seated in the socket and being periodically engage' able with the abrasive element, means detachably securing the contactor in said socket, and a screw top occupying an opening in the cylinder head, the removal of the screw top' permitting the insertion of a tool for loosen ing said securing means preparatory to ex 8. Apparatusof the character described comprising a revoluble abrasive element, re-j -ciprocable means having a non-circular opening, shank fittingsaid openingga contactor movinountedupon the shankand being pesaid element, and

changing the contactor. I

a correspondingly non-circular ably riodically; engaged with resilient meansrbearing against the, contactor insuring engagement," thereof with said element. v

I I AiHOWCOTT 

